Quick easy meals to fit your budget
I am known to spend way too long in a grocery store at any given point, BUT I am always trying to find the best bang for my buck because sometimes you’re on a tight budget. So, even though my grocery store visits extend far past the normal amount, it has led to what I think of as amazing food literacy…is that a thing?
Here are three go-to meals that never fail me. I’ll break down the price, size, and recipe. I will not be breaking down calories or sugars.
Breakfast
I don’t know if it’s just me but I hate cooking in the mornings before my classes because then I have to do dishes and I end up waking up 40 minutes earlier than I actually want to just to get some food. My best workaround to this has been prepping it the night before and chia seeds are my current favorite breakfast prep.
What you need:
- Chia Seeds! $9.32 for 32oz (this lasts a LONG time)
- Milk (I use oat but any type works)
- Honey $3 for 12oz (I like honey but any liquid sweetener works)
- Fruit of your choice (I like using frozen fruit because it lasts longer)
In a jar or any container with a lid, add 1 cup of milk and 6 tablespoons of chia seeds. Refrigerate for 1 hour, after one hour stir to ensure seeds don’t get stuck at the bottom then refrigerate overnight. In the morning add your sweetener and fruits and mix! This is the perfect grab-and-go meal and it’s light enough to where I can run to class refreshed but heavy enough to where I’m not thinking about food until lunch hits.
LUNCH
This next meal is definitely one of my favorite things to eat during the week; it’s quick, simple, filling, and easy to travel around campus with. Veggie sushi wraps definitely hold a special place in my heart and my grocery list.
What you need:
- Rice $3.52 for 5lbs.
- Dried seaweed $3.42 for 1oz wrap bag
- 2 Raw vegetables (I like carrots, cucumber, and avocado. I can also see bell peppers and celery working.)
- Soy Sauce $1.58 for 15floz
This dish is pretty simple, put on a pot of rice, 1/4th cup dry is usually good for one person, use twice as much water for however much rice you put in, and set it on medium heat to boil until soft. While that cooks slice your veggies into thin spheres. Once your rice and veggies are ready simply put some rice in your seaweed paper, add some veggies, roll, and dip in the soy sauce. I think this is perfect to drop in a lunch bag and go, rice and veggies fit great into a container, and you don’t have to heat anything up once the rice is cooked. If this meal seems a little light to you, frying some potstickers from the frozen food section to go along with it will help. Walmart has a bag of 46oz for $11.
DINNER
Breakfast and lunch were definitely more on the go, go, go side, something quick, and budget-friendly for campus runs. I like to think dinner is a little more sit up in your apartment and study with a hot meal. For dinner one of my favorite go-tos is rice bowls. They’re filling, warm, and don’t leave me with too many dishes at the end of the day.
What you need:
- Rice
- Beans (I like black beans with this.)
- Corn $0.68 for a can OR $1.18 for a 12oz frozen bag
- Protein of your choice (I like shrimp because I do not like handling raw meat.)
- Mini potatoes
- Seasonings and Sauces!
This is a very choose-your-own-adventure type of meal, you can add or subtract whatever you want. I however prefer foods that have a long shelf life and a variety of uses. If I bought lettuce just for this meal, it would probably be a waste of money because it’s not very filling and I don’t make salads often. Therefore, I do end up sacrificing some things that would probably make this a lot better.